McAULIFFE TO PROVIDE DNC RESPONSE TO CHARGE OF BIGOTRY

The Catholic League’s quest to get the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to drop its association with an anti-Catholic group, Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC), came a step closer yesterday when Congressman Tim Roemer (D-IN) entered the fray. Rep. Roemer wrote a letter to Catholic League president William Donohue saying he has written to DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe asking for a response to the league’s concerns. At issue is the DNC’s listing of CFFC as a “Catholic” and a “Pro Choice” organization on the links section of its website.

Donohue explained his reaction to Roemer’s letter today:

“Congressman Tim Roemer has now joined Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA) in leading the probe of the DNC’s decision to associate itself with an anti-Catholic group. No one believes for a moment that the DNC would list Jews for Jesus under the ‘Jewish American’ section of its links page or in any other section. Yet the DNC lists Catholics for a Free Choice—a patently anti-Catholic group—under its ‘Catholic’ heading. Because the group headed by Frances Kissling smacks of bigotry, the Catholic League argues that CFFC should not be listed anywhere on the DNC’s links page.

“Once again, it needs to be known that Kissling has personally said that it is her goal to ‘overthrow’ the Catholic Church. This is not hyperbole: she has worked tirelessly to discredit the Vatican in both international organizations like the United Nations and in the media. If the DNC wants to align itself with abortion-rights organizations, let it do so without insulting Catholics. We will not let this issue drop until the DNC drops Kissling.”